2007 Volume 48 Issue 8 Pages 347-352
Subjects were 119 hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers with a high level of HCV genotype 1b RNA, among whom 19 had shown persistently normal level of ALT (PNALT) while 100 were chronic hepatitis patients with obviously elevated ALT (EALT). We treated them with Peginterferon α-2b (PegIFN) in combination with ribavirin (RBV), and evaluated their virological responses by examining HCV RNA at 24 weeks after the end of treatment. As a result, the SVR (sustained virological response) rate in the PNALT patient group was significantly higher than that in the EALT patient group (68.4% vs 42.0%). Multivariate analysis for SVR-contributing factors revealed that the SVR rate was significantly higher in patients not older than 60 years, and in those free from hepatic fatty degeneration. Thus, our present results suggest the usefulness of PegIFN + RBV thrapy in HCV carriers with PNALT, and also that the PNALT subjects should better be treated before getting old.
